Toy for handling toy merchandise



Jan. 5, 1954 J. l.. BoNANfNo Er Al.

TOY FOR HANDLING TOY MERCHANDISE 3 Sheets-Shee l Filed July 7, 1948 l12@ la Z'? 49 46 5? ATTORNEY Jan- 5, 1954 J. L. BONANNO ET A1. 2,664,664

TOY FOR HANDLING TOY MERCHANDISE Filed July '7, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m.4. 1&5?? 52 fla 47 i-5 .Ir-., 1f??? d Q 3,311

J. L. BONANNO ET AL TOY FOR HANDLING TOY MERCHANDISE Jan. 5, 1954 5Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July '7, 1948 m. mw .T

INVENTORS Jasfpw 5am/wvo @d 6305// JIP.

TTORNEY Patented Jan. 5, 1954 TOY FOR HANDLING TOY MERCHANDISE Joseph L.Bonanno, Madison, and Abram D.

Gash, Jr., Irvington, N. J., assignors to The Lionel Corporation, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 7, 1948, SerialNo. 37,344

16 Claims. l

The present invention relates to toy railroad accessories, and is moreparticularly directed toward toy railroad accessories including a toyrailroad car which can be automatically unloaded preferably onto aplatform alongside the track.

It is customary to handle milk and cream in cans carried in express orfreight cars, and in such railroad operations as the cans cannot betipped over or rolled on their sides, they are unloaded by rolling themon their chimes from insidethe car onto an unloading platform alongsidethe track.

The present invention is more particularly directed toward a combinedtoy car and toy unloading platform designed to carry out operationssimulating the customary operation of unloading milk cans from milkcars.

In carrying out the above objects the present invention contemplates theinclusion in the track layout of a toy platform carried alongside thetrack layout in a xed position relative to the rails and having anelevation above the track Alevel the same as that of the car platform.The toy railroad accessories shown herein are an improvement on the typerof accessories described and claimed in the Smith Patent No. 2,444,961,granted July 13, 1948, on application Serial No. 555,068 led September21, 1944.

`The present invention contemplates toy railroad accessories forhandling cylindrical objects such as toy milk cans, wherein theaccessory has a magazine into which such articles may be insertedhorizontally and allowed to roll down to the bottom of the magazine.According to the present invention, electro-magnetic means is providedfor releasing the toy articles one at a time and placing them inposition to be discharged laterally from the car through a door opening.When the articles are discharged laterally they are supported by amovable member or platform slide which is moved to span the gap betweenthe car and the receiving platform. They are then suddenly `pushed oi byan ejecting action.

The present invention also contemplates arranging the parts so that anasymmetric article such as a toy milk can may be inserted into themechanism in only one way so that all the articles will be oriented inthe same way in the mechanism and delivered correspondingly.

Inorder to reduce the likelihood of having the toy articles tipped overor knocked about on the platform, each article includes a smallpermanent magnet located near the bottom, and the platform is made ofmagnetizable material.

In view of the employment of such magnetic articles, the storagemagazine and certain parts handling the articles are made ofnon-magnetic material so the toy articles do not stick or adhere.

Other and further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The accompanying drawings show, for purposes of illustrating the presentinvention, two embodiments in which the invention may take form, itbeing understood that the drawings are illustrative of the inventionrather than limiting the same.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a toy car and platform;

Figure l-a is a sectional view through a toy milk can provided with amagnet;

Figure 2 is a top plan view with the body of the car removed, partsbeing broken away, and showing the mechanism in normal position;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, parts being broken away andshowing the mechanism in an intermediate position in which the doors ofthe car have been opened and the mechanism extended beyond the side ofthe car.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing in full lines theejecting mechanism fully advanced and an article on end below themagazine, and also showing in dotted lines the mechanism inV a positionjust prior to coming to its extreme position;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section on the line 5--5 of Figure 2;

Figures 6 and 7 are transverse sectional views on the lines 5-6 and 1 1of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is an enlarged top plan view of the receiving end of thestorage magazine;

Figures 9 to l1, are fragmentary views similar to Figures 2, 3 and 4,showing a modified form of construction;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line I2-I2 of Figure 9;and

Figure 13 is a transverse sectional view on the line I3-I3 of Figure 9.

In the drawings, a section of toy railroad track such as shown in PatentNo. 2,232,508 of February 18, 1941, is shown at II). This is a five railtrack having two wheel-bearing rails II-II, a power rail I2, controlrails I3-I3, and wiring I3' leading to a remote controller, not shown.The track section is received on a base plate I4 which extends laterallyof the track and carries a receiving or unloading platform designatedgenerally by the reference character I5. The iloor I6 of this platformis preferably a piece of chromium plated steel so as to be magnetizableand scratch resistant. The platform is thus carried at a definiteelevation and lateral spacing with respect to the rails of the track.

The toy car with the usual trucks Il couplers I8 and controls carries astorage and unloading mechanism. The toy car has a platform 20 and carbody 2l. The roof' of the car body carries a trap door opening 22 andthe side of the body carries doors 23-23 adapted to swing about verticalaxes and spring biased toward closed position, so that the car presentsthe appearance of a refrigerator car as used on railroads.

All of the mechanism for storing and deliver ing the articles is carriedinside the car so as to be concealed when the doors are closed. It has abase plate 3B slightly narrower than the car platform and secured to itby a screw indicated 4at 3| and prong 32. The plate 30 carries on theside near the door opening and disposed laterally of the door opening adie casting 33. This casting has a long leg 34 at the right and a shortvleg 35 at the left, a sloping bottom 36, upwardly extending side walls3l and 38, and a lower end wall 39. The lower portions of the side wallsare spaced wider apart as indicated at 3l and 38' and the rear side wall38" is provided with an inwardly extending shelf 4). The magazine has adelivery opening formed by the lower edge ll of the bottom wall, theshelf dil, the end wall 39 andthe front side Wall portion 3l.

Articles such as A, shown in the drawings, shaped to simulate milk cansare just the proper size to roll down the chute of the storage magazine.The cans are always put into the chute in one orientation as will beexplained, and when the lower can passes below the edge il of the chute,the rear/end of the can cornes onto the shelf 40 and the front end ofthe can drops down as indicated in Figure 7. it, however, does not dropall the way because it is intercepted by a can sweep arm 42 to bedescribed hereinafter.

The chute of the magazine is covered by a sheet metal plate d3, whichextends nearly to theupper right-hand end of the chute as shown in thedrawings. 'AIhe configuration of the end 414 of this plate is shown moreclearly in Figure 8. The upper end of the magazine and the righthand endof the plate 43 have such configuration that the milk-canlike articlecan be inserted in only one position. This is indicated in full lines inFigure 8 with the top of the milk-canlike a-rticle to the rear. If onewere to attempt to insert the object in the wrong direction, as shown indotted lines in Figure 8, the upper ring of the can wquldnot permitentry of the can. ThisV assures that the articles will all, be put intothe magazine with the bottom of the can forward.

These milk-canlke articles are preferably made of metal such as aluminumand are provided with a central opening in which is received a smallpermanent magnet M. A spring pressed plunger 45 is carried in the chutein a'position to hinder the insertion of improperly shaped articles andassistr in the ejection o f suchv articles.

The cover plate 43 has two downwardly bent portions 46 and 4lbetweenwhich is mounted a solenoid coil 46. llhis coil is providedy withpole piece 49, and plunger 0. The portion 45 of the cover plate has abracket 5l, and the lever or plate 42 is pivotally secured to thisbracket as indicated at 52. The plunger 50, operated by the solenoid,carries a downwardly extending pin 53 which enters a slot 5.4 in an ear55 struck out lof a sweep arm 56 pivoted te the plate 35 at 5i.

The arm 55 is biased in a clockwise direction by a spring indicated at58. The arm 56 extends over the top of the base 30 behind the chute andbelow the solenoid as indicated in the drawings. It has a verticalflange portion 59 and a horizontal end portion Ell beyond the lower endof the chute. When the electromagnet is deenergized the spring 58 holdsthe sweep arm in the position indicated in Figure 2, at which time theflange 59 is against a depending flange L12-a carried by the can sweeparm 42. The flat portion 50 of the sweep arm 55 has a triangular shapedopening 6l, a iange 52 along its right edge, and an upwardly extendingprong 53 to which isk vsecured a figure F shaped vto simulate a trainmanunloading a milk can. Under the figure. F the flat portion 50 of thesweep arm 5B is shaped as indicated.

The left end of the base plate 33 has a pivot post lll on which ismounted a shifting plate or platform slide ll. This plate has a notchindicated at 'i2 co-operable with the flange I3 on the plate 35 to limitthe swinging movement of the plate 1 I. The plate 'H has an upwardlybent prong 'Hl close to the nose portion 54 of the arm 55. It also has aprong l5 which extends up through the opening 5I in the arm 55. Theplate Il also extends to the right as indicated in the drawings so as toprovide a platform in front of the chute and the end of the arm 55..

When the parts are in the position indicated in vFigure 2 and theobjects. such as the toy milk cans are placed in the magazine, thelower-.most article drops part way out of the magazine as indicated inFigure 7, its lower end resting on the arm 42 and its rear endk restingon the shelf 40. On the first energization of the solenoidcoil, the arm55 swings through the positions indicated in Figures 3 and 6 (fulllines) and 4 and 6 (dotted lines). Near the end of the first swing ofthe arm 55, the vertical flange 59 of this armY enga-ges as shown indotted lines in Figure 4 with a depending cam-like element carried bythe arm 42, and swings this arm from the position shown in Figures 2 and3 to the position shown in Figure 4 in full lines. This lmoves the arm42 out from under the article in the magazine and allows the article todrop down to the position` indicated in dotted lines in Figures 5 and 7.It is received by a non-magnetic plate 8 l'. rIkhis plate has anupstanding flange 8| behind the vcan and the chute has a dependingiiange 3i-a in front of the can. These iianges, together with the leg35v of the magazine and -the sweep arm flange 6 2, form a chamber inwhich the can is held against accidental displacement. When theelectromagnet is de-energized, the spring 58 returns the parts to normalposition and the flange 59 on the arm 56 engages the depending iiange42-a on the member #32,y and swings it back to position. This brings adepending flange. 82 carfied, by the member 42 against the can standlngon the platform 51|, and pushes the can from this platform 8i on to theadjacent platform portion 83 of the lever 7l. It also brings flange 82against ange B2 carried by the sweep. arm 55. As anges l2-a and 55 arealso in engagement, the sweep arm 55 can move no farther. Such aposition of the, can is indicatedin dotted lines in Figure 2.

During this rst operation of the mechanism, b'ywhich the toy can hasbeen deposited in position to be ejected,v the ejector parts have gonethrough an idle operation which will now be described. The extreme endof the arm 56v engages the upwardly extending prong 14 on lever 1| andswings this lever in a clockwise direction, moving it rapidly to itsextreme position, at which time the platform portion 33 of the member 1|projects laterally of the car body. It has at the same timey opened thedoors. When the member 1| has been brought against the stop 13, the

'parts have moved far enough so that the arm 56 is free for continuedmovement. This carries it from the position shown in Figure 3 to theposition shown in Figure 4 so that the end 64 of the arm 56 is beyondthe end of the plate 1| and above the licor I6 cf the platform l5. Whenthe spring returns the arm 56 to position, the upwardly extending lug 15carried lby the plate 1| is engaged by the front wall of the opening 6|and this carries the arm 'il back to normal position.

During the second and subsequent operations of the mechanism, thearticle which has been `placed on the member 1| in front of the figure Fcarried by the arm 55 is first transported out of and across the spacebetween the car and receiving platform and is then given a suddenmovement to push it off the member 1| and onto the platform floor E6. Asthe article being shifted has a magnet M and the receiving platfo-rm ismagnetizable, the shifted article adheres to the platform instead oftending to fall down and roll about.

The modified form of construction in Figures 9 to 13 is generallysimilar to that above described. Here magazine 33, the. cover e3, andthe solenoid coil and operating means for the sweep arm are Ithe same asbefore. `The sweep arm |05, however, is modified to some extent.

flange 0| adapted to engage'the downwardly It vhas a rear extendingflange |02 carried by the Vcan sweep arm |03 to hold the latter innormal position.

The arm also has a slot |03', |03-c to receive a pin |04, carried by areciprocatory plate |05. This plate has a flange |065` outside theflange |01 carried by the base plate |08, so as to `be guided forreciprocation transversely of the |00 continues in its movement to anextreme position where the figure F is suddenly carried beyond the plateso as to move the can from ythe platform |09 and eject it onto theplatform l5.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other formsand constructions within the scope of the claims, we wish it to beunderstood that the particular forms sho-wn are but `two of these forms,and various modifications and changes being possible, we do nototherwise limit ourselves in any way with respect thereto.

' AWhat is claimed is:

" 1. A merchandise handling toy for delivering cylindrical toy articlesof merchandise standing on end, which comprises an inclined storagemagazine into which the articles are inserted side by side so as to rolldown the same, the

magazine having a discharge opening through which the one end only ofthe lower-most article.

may pass while it is on its side, a movable lntercepting plate below theopening which in one position holds the article against passagecompletely through the opening and in its other position releases thearticle to fall in an erect position, a receiver onto which the erectedarticle falls, a member movable with the plate and acting on the returnmovement of the plate to shift the erect article from said receiver, a.laterally movable article support onto which the article is shifted, andelectro-magnetic means to shift the article support to a limited extentand to thereafter eject the article therefrom end down.

2. A. merchandise handling toy, as claimed in claim 1, having meansactuated by the electromagnetic means near the end of the ejectingmovement for shifting the intercepting plate from below the opening andother'means acting near the end of the return movement for returning theintercepting plate.

3. A merchandise handling toy for delivering asymmetric cylindrical toyarticles of merchandise standing on end, which comprises an inclinedstorage magazine into which the articles are inserted side by side so asto roll down the same, the magazine having an inlet opening shaped toreceive the articles in oriented position only, a discharge openingthrough, which one end only of the lower-most article may pass while itis on its side, a movable intercepting plate below the opening which inone position holds the article against passage completely through theopening and in its other position releases the article to fall in anerect position, a receiver onto which the erected article falls, amember movable with the plate and acting on the return movement of theplate to shift the erect article fromsaid receiver, a laterally movablearticle support onto which the article is shifted, and electro-magneticmeans to shift the article support tora limited extent and to thereaftereject the article therefrom with a predetermined end down.

4. A merchandise handling toy for delivering endwise asymmetric,cylindrical toy articles of merchandise standing on end and wherein thearticles are each characterized by having a magnet at the end thereof,which comprises an inclined storage magazine into which the articles areinserted side by side so as to roll down the same, the magazine havingan inlet opening shaped to receive the articles in oriented positiononly, a discharge opening through which the magnetic end only of thelower-most article may pass while it is on its side and in said orientedposition, a movable intercepting plate below the opening which in oneposition holds the article against passage completely through theopening and in its other position releases the article to fall in anerect position, a non-magnetic receiving plate onto which the erectarticle drops, a member movable with the first plate for shifting theerect article in one direction, a laterally movable article support ontowhich the article is shifted, and electro-magnetic means to shift thearticle support to a limited extent and thereafter eject the erectarticle therefrom.

5. In a toy for storing and delivering cylindrical toy articles ofmerchandise of asymmetric contour, each having an axially disposedmagnet nearer one end than the other, a non-magnetic magazine having anasymmetric opening to admit` the article in only one orientation and asloping bottom along which the articles roll without magnetic drag orsticking, the magazine havacca-,co4

7 ing an asymmetrically placed discharge opening through which themagnet bearing end of the article drops so that the article is erectedto locate the magnet at its bottom end` as it passes through.

6. A merchandise handling toy having means to shift a cylindrical toymerchandise article from its side to its end, means to shift the upendedarticle in one direction, a supporting. pilate movable between a normalposition of rest in 'which it receives the article and. a shiftedposition'` to which it carries the article, stops limiting' platemovement, an electro-magnetically operated ejector including a pusherabove the plate and hareng a normal position behind the artiele when itis received on the plate and shiftable laterally, the ejector and platebeing interconnected so that upon initial ejecting movement of theejector the plate is shifted toward the corresponding stop at a greaterspeed so as I,

to advance the article in lfront of the ejector and bring. the plateagainst said stop, at which time the ejector is free for further suddenmovement so that the article is pushed oif the plate,

the ejector and plate being inter-connected so that on return movementof the ejector the plate is restored to normal position.

7.y A merchandise handling toy, as claimed in claim` 6, wherein theejector is pivoted about a vertical axis and the article receiving plateis pvoted about a vertical axis substantially in line with the ejectoraxis and the end of the ejector when in` retractedV position.

8; A` merchandise handlingl toy, as claimed in claim' 6, wherein theejector is pivoted about a vertical axiis'- and the article receivingplate is mounted for longitudinal reciprocation in a directionsubstantially tangent to the arc through which the pusher swings.

9. A toy for storing and unloading cylindrical articles of merchandisein an upright position, comprising a storage magazinedown which thearticles are adapted to roll in side by side relation, the magazinehaving a stop against which thelo-wer-most article comes to rest and anopening at one side of the bottom of the magazine wider whenv measuredtransversely of the axis of the article than the diameter of the articleand shorter when measured in the direction of the axis than the lengthof the article so that one end of this article can lower therethrough, aplate below the opening to intercept the lowered end of the article',and means to shift the plate so thatl the article may dropv downwardly''with its axis vertical` 10. A platform, a storage and deliverymechanism supported above the platform and comprising a downwardlyinclined storage magazine along which cylindrical articles are adaptedto roll, means normally closing the magazine to prevent. gravitydischargeof the articles, a solenoid supported alongside the magazine, ahori- Zonta-,l1 rocker plateabove the platform" and actuatedY in onedirection by the solenoid, a spring for actuating it in the otherdirection, rocker plate actuated means for actuatingr the magazineclosing means to release a single article, and a rocker platev operatedreceiver for the released article and movable by the rocker plate toVshift the article beyond the edgeY of the platform'.

ll. A merchandise handling toy railroad toy for transporting anddelivering endvvise asymmetric, cylindrical toy articles standing on endand wherein thev articles are,- each' characterized byy having a magnet.at the end thereof, compris- 8 ing a toy freight car having in the sidewall thereof a door hinged about a vertical axis to swing out and springbiased toward closed position, a car carried inclined non-magneticstorage magazine into which the articles are inserted side by side so asto roll down the same without magnetic drag or sticking, the magazinehaving aninlet opening shaped to receive the articles in orientedposition only, a discharge opening through which the magnetic end only0f the lowermost article may pass while it is on its side, a movableintercepting plate below the discharge opening which in one positionholds the article against passage completely through the opening and inits other position releases the article to fall in an' erect position, anon-magnetic receiving plate onto which the articledrops, a membermovable with the first plate for shifting an erect article on saidreceiving plate in one direction, a laterallyr movable article supportdisposed op- ,posi'te the door and onto which the article is shifted, anelectro-magnetically operated device having means to open the door andmeans to shift the article support to a 'limited extent and thereaftereject the article therefrom through the open door with the magnetic enddown, and a horizontal magnetizable platform. onto which fie magneticarticle passes after it leaves the support, the lower endl of themagnetic article magnetizing the platform so that the article remainsupright.

12. In a merchandise handling toy,v a receiving platform made ofmagnetiz'a'ble material, a movable vehicle adapted to be placedalongside the platform, and toy merchandise elements each having anasymmetric contour' andl including a magnet asymmetrically disposed withrespect to the center of gravity thereof, the vehicle having means forstoring the merchandise elements in oriented position only, means forshifting them one at a time to a magnet down, unloading position, andmeans for shifting them laterally from said magnet down, unloadingposition onto the platform so they are magnetically held in positionvthereon.

13. In combination, a toy merchandise moving vehicle, unloadingmechanism carried by the vehicle, toy merchandise elements each being ofasymmetric contour and having a magnet asymmetrically disposed withrespect to the center of gravity thereof, the unloading mechanism havingmeans to orient the toy merchandise elements se that the magnet is atbottom and means to discharge the oriented merchandise elementslaterally, and a receiving platform ontowhich the merchandise istransferred, the platform being magnetizablel so that the article ofmerchandise adheres to it.

1-4. An articlel storage and delivery mechanism for use on toy cars,comprising an elongatedv base plate adapted tobesecured to a toy carplatform, an arm pivoted to one end of the base' plate, a reciprocatorymember secured to the other end of the base plate and drivinglyconnected to the arm through a lost motion connection to be driven backand forth thereby through a forward movement and. a returnv movementwith overtravel in both directions, an electro-magnet for actuating thearm through itsI forward inovemenu a spring acting on thearm torestcreit and the reciprocatory member to normal position, a storage magazinecarried by the' base plate, means responsive to overtravel of said armin its forward' movement to eject from the reciprocatory member anvarticle previously placed thereon, means actuated by the arm near theend of its forward movement for releasing another article from themagazine, and means actuated by the arm near the end of its returnmovement for shifting the released article onto the reciprocatorymember.

15. In combination, a base plate, a base-plate supported,downwardly-sloping storage chute having a bottom along which cylindricalarticles may freely roll, a drop-out opening at the lower end of thebottom of the chute and at one side so that the lower-most article dropsout onto its end, a solenoid coil, an armature therefor, an armatureactuated arm, a spring for returning the armature and arm to a normalposition, stops limiting the movements of the arm, and two arm actuatedmembers, one carrying an article intercepting element normally under thedrop-out opening in the chute and shiftable by the arm near the end ofits armature actuated movement to release the article, the other armactuated member having an article receiving platform adjacent but notunder the drop-out opening, two stops and a lost motion connection withthe arm whereby the second member has limited movement during eachswingl of the arm and the arm moves beyond, the iirst arm actuatedmember being shiftable to normal position when the arm returns andhaving an article engaging element for shifting the article from thedropped position onto the other arm actuated member.

16. In combination, a plurality of toy articles each being of asymmetriccontour and including a permanent magnet, asymmetrically located withrespect to the contour of the article, a storage magazine having meansincluding an asymmetric opening which admits the articles in only oneorientation, means to deliver them one at a time oriented in magnet downposition, ejector means for acting on the positioned article to suddenlyshift it laterally, and a magnetizable receiving platform onto which theso oriented articles are received from the ejector and to which theyadhere.

JOSEPH L. BONANNO` ABRAM D` GASH, Jn.

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